Expanding last



UNITED STATES,

.PATENT OFFICE..

GORDON MCKAY, CF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

EX PAN DING LAST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lea'es Patent No. 245,303, dated August 9, 1881.

' Application mea May 21, 1881. (No model.) l I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, GORDON MoKAY, of Cambridge, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Expanding Lasts, of which the following dei scription, in connection with the accompany- -ing drawings,'is a specication.

My invention relates to and has for its object to produce a last that, inserted in a shoe, 1o can be readily expanded in all directions, whereby a shoe suitably connected about its lower edge may be filled or distended by pressnre applied at its inner side while the shoe is being manipulated in the processes of lasting or finishing, the said last,while in its contracted condition, being easily placed in the shoe without stretching it, and then expanded to its normal size to properly fill the shoe.

rlhe last is made with a heel portion movazo ble longitudinally from the main body of the last, to thus increase it in length, and with a movable instep or top portion, whereby, by suitable connecting means, the instep portion may be moved automatically to increase the circumference of the last. The instep portion may be connected with the main portion by pivoted levers, as will be hereinafter described, the fulcrum-points of .which are so located in relation to one another that when operated to 3o separate the instepor top portion from the main body of the last th'e said instep or top portion has a greater movement at the upper than at the toe end thereof, as is necessary to properly fill and t the upper of the shoe.

The levers for operating the instep or top' portion, as shown in Figs. l and 2,`are pivoted together at an intermediate point, somewhat similarly to the blades of a pair of scissors, and are operated by a pair of rollers bearing 4o upon them, and made movable toward their pivot to separate or increase the angle between the said levers.

Apin with a squared head, or otherwise adapt ed to be rotated'by a suitable key or wrench, 4 5 is provided with two eccentrics or cams, which,

when the said pin is rotated, engage respectively a plate upon the movable heel-piece, and a rod carrying the rollers by which the beforementioned levers are operated to expand the instep portion of the last, so that by a single 5o movement ofthe said pin the lastis expanded in all directions and brought to a deflnite size to properly t the shoe.

The under side of the toe of the last is provided with points .projecting forward at an '55 acute angle to the sole thereof, for the purpose ef engaging the insole or lining and crowding it forward into the toc of the shoe' as the last is elongated by the movement of its heel-piece.

Figure l is a horizontal section of a last con- 6o taining my invention. Fig. 2 is a'longitudinal section thereof, it being shown in full lines in its contracted condition to enable it to be readily inserted in a shoe and in dotted lilies in its expanded condition to properly iitthe shoe after it has been inserted therein; and Fig. 3 is a modification to be referred to.

The last consists, chiefly, of the main or sole portion a., the. heelportion b, (shown asprovided with a tenon, c,-tting in a. mortise in 7o the main portion en) and the instep or top por-v tion, d, extending from the toe to the top of the last.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, a link or lever, e, is connected at one end by the .pivot 2 with 75 the instep portion d, and at its other end by a pivot, 3, with the main portion a ot' the last. A second lever, j', is pivoted upon the'rst lever at 4, and is forked or slotted at its' ends to embrace pins 5 and 6 xed upon the 'upper 8o portion, d, and main portion a of thetlast, respectively. By this arrangement, when the levers are moved in such manner as to open or increase the acute angle between them, the instep portion dis moved bodily from the main portion a, as shown in dotted lines, and by locating the fulcrum 4, as shown, nearer to the extremities 2 6 of the levers than to the extremities 3 5 thereof the movement of the pin 5 and upper end of the instep portion d 9: from the main portion (t will be greater than the corresponding movement of the pivot 2 and toe of the instep portion d. The levers e f are actuated to thus move the instep portion d by the rollers h t', pivoted at 7 upon a rod, L, 95 longitudinally movable in the main portion a of the last.

A pin, m, (shown as having a squared head to be engaged by a socketwrench,) is provided with eccentrics or cams n o, projecting from opposite sides thereof, so that when the pin m is rotated the cam n will engage a bearing-block, 5 p, of the heel-piece b and move the latter longitudinally away from the main portion a of' the last, and the cam o will engage the end of the pin l to thrust the rollers h t' forward between the levers e f and raise the instep portion d upward from the main portion of the last. A single movement or half-turn ot the pin m will throw ont the heel-piece b, lengthen the last, and push it forward into the toe of the shoe, and at the same time or just after, as desired, according to the shaping of the cams n o, will cause the instep-piece d to move to the position shown in dotted lines to properly till the upper ot' the shoe. A spring, r, serves to withdraw the rod l and rollers h i when the pin m is rotated back to the position shown in full lines, and a spring, s, will then draw the levers e f together and restore the instep-piece d to its posit-ion close to the main portion a of the last, the spring s2 then drawing the main and heel portions of the last together.

The under side or sole of the last is provided near its toe with points t, projecting forward, preferably at an acute angle to the sole, to engage the inner sole or lining and draw it well forward as the last is lengthened by separating the heel portion b from the main portion a through the action of the cam n.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the levers employed are of a diiierent class-namely, toggle-jointed levers-one of which, c', is pivoted at 10 to the main portion a ef the last, and the other one, f', to the heel portieri at 12, these two levers beingjointed end to end, as by the pin 15, so as to be simultaneouslyoperated by the upper end of a rigid standard, 13, connected with a suitable bench, 14, or otherwise supported, the last being provided with a suitable hole, 16, to receive the said standard. The end of the lever cis extended beyond its pivot 10 to engage a suitable bearing-block, 18, in the instep portion d of the last, so that by pressing the last, when placed in a shoe, down upon the standard 13 the levers e f are straightened into line with one another, thereby throwing the heel and instep portions b d of the last outward, substantially as before described. A spring, s', will operate to restore the levers and movable portions of the last to their position shown in full lines when removed from the standard 13; or a suitable hook may be inserted in the hole 16 to break the joint 15 and contract the last.

The sole of the last is preferably provided with a steel plate, w, for the purpose of clinching nails or tacks when used for fastening an outsole or holding it in place while being sewed or otherwise operated upon.

An important feature of this invention is that the last is expanded a definite amount, coming to a certain definite size, which may be considered its normal size, as it corresponds to the shoe to be placed or lasted upon it, while other so-called expanding or stretching77 lasts are intended to fit the shoe when in their contracted condition, and are intended to expand indefinitely to stretch and enlarge a finished shoe which has proved to be a trifle too small.

The herein-described last, when contracted,

anism. to move the said heel and instep portion longitudinally with relation tothe said main portion a. of the last to lengthen and expand the said last, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a last, the main or body portion a and movable instep portion d, combined with a system of movable levers to connect them and cause the instep portion to be moved away from the main portion of the last, substantially as described.

3. The main and instep portions of the last and lever, pivoted at one end to one and at its other end to the other of the said portions, combined with the second lever, pivoted to the first and guided at its ends upon the said portions of the last, the pivotal point of the levers with each other being nearer the ends thereof connected with the toe end of the last, whereby, when the instep portion is moved from the main portion, its upperend traverses a greater space than its toe, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In' a last, the movable heel and instep portions and the connecting-levers for the said instep portion, combined with the actuating-pin and cams thereon and connecting mechanism between one of the said cams and the said levers, whereby a single movement of at or near its toe to engage the inner sole or- IOO IIO

lining, combined with the movable heel por- In testimony whereof I have signed my name 1o tion and means to aotuate it to elongate the to this specification in the presence of two sublast, as and for the purpose set; forth. seribing witnesses.

8. A last havin g movable portions, com- I bined with mechanism, substantially as del scribed, to seperate the said portions a definite amount, whereby the last is expanded to Vitnesses:

a certain definite or normal size, as and for J OS. P. LIVERMORE,

the purpose set; forth. L. F. CONNOR.

GORDON MCKAY. 

